HeartAttack
by jaqred
Summary: A night out with Nell leads to some very revealing emotions for Kensi about her partner. Hilarious situations ensue. Features all NCIS: LA characters. Language not suitable for children.
1. Chapter 1

**Long time reader, first time storyteller. I get inspired by music, it helps me to think creatively about situations for characters. Densi focused, obviously. Heard this song and this story immediately came to mind. Reviews and critiques are welcome. :)**

_You make me wana act like a girl/ paint my nails and wear high heals/ yes you/ but you make me so nervous but I just cant seem to hold your hand/ you make me glow but my cover up wont let it show/ so I put my defenses up cause I don't wana fall in love if I ever did that I think I would have a heart attack_. - Demi Lovato, _Heart Attack_

Kensi and Nell slipped into the Mission, trying to get to the locker rooms without being noticed. Both had disheveled hair and wore the biggest sunglasses they could find at a moments notice, and the clothes they had left in last night.

"Well don't you two look like bright rays of sunshine?" Sam exclaimed gleefully as he spotted them. "How much fun did you have? Or more appropriately, how much did you drink?"

"We drank…. _Everything_." Nell answered, to which Kensi confirmed with only a grunt, turning to the locker room but finding her way was blocked by Deeks with that stupid grin on his face, she immediately turned around to head to her desk.

"Dang, girls, did you leave anything in this town for the rest of us?" came Deek's voice as he followed her around the corner into the bullpen. "So what did you end up doin? I got a few unreadable texts, which was _so COOL_ at 2am by the way." he added with a hint of annoyance and amusement looking at Kensi. It wasn't often that she was the focus of everyone's attention in the bullpen and he intended to take full advantage of it.

Kensi ignored him as she threw her classes on her desk, put her hands to her temples and plopped herself down in her chair, trying to sort out flashes of memories as they were coming back to her.

"We started at the Monster truck rally, then hit up a club for a while and ended up at my place, I think." Nell, in monotone voice, as she leaned against Kensi's desk. She figured Kensi needed her moral support. The guys tended to be harder on her anyway. When Kensi didn't answer, she cut in, "All i remember is that there was definitely loud music, dancing, and copious amounts of alcohol."

Deeks scrunched up his face in fake indignation,"Hey now, I'm starting to feel a little jealous here, Fern, why didn't you ask me to come along?"

At this, Kensi looked up at her partner, raised an eyebrow, which she immediately regretted as that only added to her headache. Giving up on the facial expressions, she laid her head on her arms on the desk.

She muffled into her arms, "I thought the words 'girls night only' were very clear," then raised her head to look at him, with a devilish glint in her eyes, "or is there something you've been holding out on us?"

"Ha! Yeah, I'm all man honey, just let me know if you want to examine me in private. All I ask is that you be gentle." He winked.

Through the serious hangover headache, she wondered why she had decided to drink everything in sight. Oh yeah, yesterday, she walked in on Deeks and Callen arguing over their pick up styles. She was able to hold her tongue and concentrate on her work just fine until she heard Deeks' voice "…no woman can resist this. Isn't that right KiKi?" Now admittedly he joked about this kind of thing regularly, even using her as an involuntary wingman on occasion, but something inside her on this occasion snapped. If he felt the need to brag about his conquests at work, she had no problem going out and enjoying herself too. With out him. It probably had something to do with that nickname. Out of all the ones he used she despised it the most, for some reason.

"No Deeks it is not. Speaking for all female kind, some of us still have the power of logical thought in your presence. NEEEELL? ! " she yelled up to Ops. Within seconds a little pixie of a redhead could be seen bobbing out the Ops door and down the stairs. "You have any plans tonight? We should do something." Kensi asked, not bothered to wait for Nell to respond, all the while looking at Deeks with a mixture of definance and not so subtle hint of daring. "Umm sure Kensi, but that's not only reason why I came down, we got a case and you're all need up to Ops now."

Luckily it was a task for Callen and Sam, as it pertained to one of their undercover identities, the highway patrol ones to be exact, much to Deeks' utter disappointment. As they received their assignment and marched out, Deeks and Kensi filed down the stairs to their respective desks to complete a number of post op reports that were way over due.

The life of an undercover operative was 10% excitement and 90% monotony such as this. Kensi kept her eyes glued to her desk and computer for the rest of the day, occasionally allowing her mind to wander on her partner, whether he really hooked up as much as he said he did and what a date with him must be like. Every time though the uncomfortableness of those thoughts, not to mention the lump of sadness that clung to the back to her throat, brought her back to the task at hand. By 5 o clock, she and Nell had settled on that evening's activities, via text of course, partially to keep Deeks in suspense because she knew it drove him nuts when she refused to give up the information about her life outside of the job. On the other hand, she figured that she and Nell were long overdue for a night out anyway, and if it happened to piss off Deeks, great.

In spite of the pain it caused, Kensi smiled a little, remembering how Deeks pestered her to no end about what she and Nell were going to do. The partners had spent at least three nights a week for the past few months at each others' apartments, enjoying beer, ice cream, and take out with the occasional movie or tv show marathon. They were supposed to do that again last night, but rather than using her normal tactic to punish him when he pissed her off, punching obviously, she decided that switching up her routine with the hope that it would help him finally get a clue.

It did not.

Typical.

The Monster truck rally was pretty good, she recalled, but it was the events after she was having trouble remembering at the moment. Absent-mindly she started rummaging in her purse for her cell, ignoring the continued ridicule being hurled her way from Sam and Deeks about their attire and demeanor. She raised her voice to interrupt them, "Could somebody call my phone, I can't seem to find it."

"I don't doubt that, Kens. You could lose a baby in that thing you call a purse." Joked Deeks as he was the first to whip out his cell phone.

"Hey Kens, I am remembering something,…. Maybe you should let me call it." Nell tried to hastily get out but was too late… Suddenly, a muffled song started playing in Kensi's lap…

_You me wana act like a girl/ paint my nails and wear high heals/ yes you/ but make me so nervous but I just cant seem to hold your hand/ you make me glow but my cover up wont let it show/ so I put my defenses up cause I don't wana fall in love if I ever did that I think I would have a heart aaaaaaaaaaatttack._

Refusing to look up, she located her phone and hastily took out the battery. _This is officially the worst day ever_.

Deeks tilted his head to the side, his bright blue eye gaze focused at his partner, with an amused smirk forming in the corners of his mouth. Sam doubled over, shaking with laughter. He just couldn't help himself.

Memories of the night came flashing back to Kensi all at once. The club they went to, all the amorous guys clamoring for her attention, the darkness, loud music that vibrated through her body, but the only face she kept seeing was her partner's. Hence all the drinking. _Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuck!_

"Ill be in the gym," she muttered under her breath as she brushed by Sam and Deeks with out a glancing back. Sam was clutching the desk for support as he was still shaking with laughter. Deeks didn't take his eyes off of her until she rounded the corner. Nell proceeded to run up the steps back to Ops, with the hope that she would not be followed by Deeks' inquisitive presence. _Fat chance of that,_ she thought as she walked through the doors.

After a few beats he needed to process what had just taken place, he bounded up the stairs, calling after Nell. He figured that Kensi was too sensitive to tell him what happened that night, plus he was in no mood to have his genitals ripped from his body. But Nell, he assumed, would need little prodding to reveal what happened between the two of them last night.


	2. Chapter 2

**So I can't help myself and post another chapter. This story is writing itself and I want to see where it goes as much as the next person. I will attempt to update it as it comes out.**

**Also, I am truly humbled by all the followers, reviewers, and readers of my first story. The word AWESOME comes to mind. Thank you! **

**I want to be as true to the voices of the characters as possible, so any advice, critiques, or criticisms about that would be greatly appreciated. It will only help me entertain you!**

**I have a specific outline for this story and do not plan on it being longer than a few chapters. A teaser of whats to come, the gang will all end up at a karaoke bar. I fear I have said to much, but really, think about Callen trying to sing "Poker Face" and try not to laugh. **

**Anyway, lets get back on track! Happy reading :)**

"Nope, not gona do it Deeks, so back off." Nell was in no mood to talk about her and Kensi's previous night out, as she was doing some in depth research on suspects for Sam and Callen. "And for the record, even if I wasn't as busy with keeping our teammates alive," she allowed herself a brief glance behind at him, "I wouldn't tell you squat. Now get out before I sick Hetty on you."

Deeks heard Eric snigger a little at that last threat.

"Really, Eric? Could you be any more whipped?"

"Pot calling kettle black, Deeks."

Before he could respond, the Ops doors opened and a tiny woman entered, hands clasped behind her back in the usual fashion. _This confirms it. Hetty has to be psychic_, Deeks thought.

"Mr. Deeks, I would advise you to please leave our tech analysts alone while they are doing their jobs. Do I have to remind you about the paperwork on your desk that needs to be completed before you leave this evening?"

"Yeah, I'll get right on it, Hetty" He turned to walk out of the doors. "This isn't over, Nell," he called back as the doors opened.

Sam's laughter could still be heard through the opened doors as he described the situation to Callen, who had apparently just arrived.

Kensi was taking out her frustrations on a helpless punching bag, as expected, when Deeks finally worked up the courage to find her in the gym. Even though she said she was going to the gym, he figured it was a 50/50 chance between the punching bag and the gun range. He silently thanked whatever deity was out there that she wasn't practicing shooting the crotch region. Yes, they were only paper targets, he still felt it was wrong.

_Not that being kicked there is fun either._

He leaned against doorframe of the gym entrance, watching her as she released combo after combo on the bag. Her headphones were on and turned up so loudly he could hear it as far away as he was, plus her back was to him, so he surmised that he had three minutes before she spotted him. His thoughts wandered to yesterday, wondering what he said that made her abandon their movie night. The past few months, _years really_, he corrected, had brought them closer together as partners and friends and since his disastrous birthday, she had accepted his teasing and flirting with little resistance. Granted, he expected the well-deserved punch or kick when he took it to far, but they rarely bruised now as they had in the first months of their partnership.

_Nope, relationship_.

At this point, that's what he figured it was. That _thing_ between them had ebbed and flowed in intensity in the last few years depending on who was pissed of at who but it was always there. It had progressed to the point where any date he went on or any other girl he met was automatically compared to Kensi. He was truly in awe of her most days, others, well he couldn't be blamed if he wasn't always her biggest fan. He had other partners before her, but none of them permeated into his life the way she had and refused to leave.

There had been many women in his life. Some were more memorable than others for various reasons, not _all _of them sexual. But still, the unpredictability of Kensi Blye never allowed his brain to go far from her. She was the most beautiful person he had ever met, no matter how angry she was at him. _The angrier the better_, he chuckled to himself. His thoughts drifted to that dirty place in his mind, imagining what hate sex with her would be like. He was a guy after all. And her workout attire of tight spandex and sports bra did nothing to hinder the direction his mind was going.

"What do you want Deeks?" It was as if she could hear his thoughts and knew when to interrupt them just when it was getting good. Even with her headphones on and her back to him, she knew he had been standing there a while.

Now that his presence was known, he descended the few steps towards the main area, stopping only at the edge of the sparing mat, near her gym bag, a few feet from her. He felt it was prudent to keep a little distance between them, just in case she was looking for a more lifelike target to hit. She took off her headphones and went back to the punching the bag.

"So…" he began, "Do you want to talk about that new ringtone on your phone?"

"No I don't, _Deeks_." She emphasized his name with a punch.

"I mean, it's a great song, I actually _love_ that so-"

"_Shut it_Deeks! I will shoot you."

Death threats. _Good._

"No you won't because then who would bring you doughnuts and jog with you in the mornings, or bring you your favorite candy bars and chocolates during your lady phase? Cause I'll tell you right now, Sam and Callen will leave you very disappointed. They think you like Mars Bars, but I know for a fact you have a disturbing attachment to Snickers." He teased, trying to make her smile.

She didn't go for it this time. Instead, Kensi took out her practice combat knives and started going after the bag. He was pretty sure at this moment she was using her imagination to stab him. If she thought that was going to intimidate him into silence, she was delusional.

"Ok so _clearly _you are mad at me for something. Just tell me what it is so I can make it up to you. Doughnuts and your favorite coffee from that place you don't think I know about but I do? I'm not exactly sure what I did but I have a few theories. Let me know when I'm getting close."

Kensi whirled around and gave him her death glare, the one she used right before she put bad guys in the hospital. _Not good, not good. _With out breaking eye contact, she slowly started walking, _stalking,_towards him, taking off her gloves with her teeth, then unwrapped the bandages from her knuckles. He swallowed hard.

"Deeks, I am not going to talk to you about what I did with Nell last night." she calmly addressed him in that dangerously sweet voice that aroused yet terrified him, "and if you keep this up, you will regret it." She knelt down to her gym bag at his feet, stuffing her gloves, practice knives, and bandages inside. "Now, I am going to take a shower, then take an aspirin to get rid of this stupid headache, and I expect doughnuts to magically be on my desk with hot coffee when I get back to the bullpen. Understood?" Kensi's fearsome eyes darted back to meet his blue ones, as she stood up with her bag in hand. Not needing confirmation, she turned and walked toward the locker rooms.

Something was up with Kensi and he was not going to give up til he knew what it was. Normally they teased each other about these embarrassing moments. His mind raced through the events of yesterday, straining to remember anything that could have had this bad of an affect on her present mood. Obviously her current state of irritability was the result of the ringtone but clearly there was a deeper issue bugging her for her to have reacted this dramatically.

"Was it when Callen and I were talking about our pick up strategies?" He knew he hit a nerve when she paused briefly mid step before accelerating through the door.

There was a loud thud as the door was kicked opened and then slammed shut.


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks SOO MUCH for the encouragement for this project. There are no words. **

**Sorry for the length, or lack there of. I will probably post another chapter either later today or tomorrow to compensate. **

Kensi took a little longer in the shower than usual. It was exactly the calming influence she needed, letting the water run over her body, the sound of rushing water fill her ears to drown her thoughts. The warm water had been cold for a while when she stepped out to dry off. She was almost ready to head back to the bullpen when the door opened and Nell came around the corner.

"Kensi, we need to talk about what happened last night." Nell was nervous about how Kensi would react to this but it needed to happen. It was only 1pm and her patience with Deeks was starting to thin.

After Kensi's departure to the showers, he rushed back to Ops and stood there, arms crossed against his chest. He didn't say anything, just watched her with those bright ocean blue eyes of his, as if trying to telepathically force her to give up what she knew. Of course, this was also after Hetty had left for the day to places unknown, and Callen was too involved in working on his current case with Sam to be of any use in getting him out of the room. She grew up with brothers and sisters so she knew how that game worked, but it was reaching the point of stupidity.

"Yeah. I need to finish up some paperwork and then why don't we meet up at my place, " she said as she dried her hair. Nell gave her a questioning look. She knew what the inside of Kensi's apartment looked at and was not exactly thrilled to spend an evening in filth. Rolling her eyes, Kensi knew what she was thinking. "Ok, I'll clean up a bit. Happy?"

"Perfect. Look, I have security cameras set up at my place cause I'm a little more than paranoid from that whole kidnapping thing a while back so I'll bring what is on the server to fill in the gaps while we were there." Kensi nodded in agreement. Nell made her best attempt at a reassuring smile before she left the locker room.

"Great." _Now to get this day over with. _

Kensi sighed, steeled herself for what was waiting for her in the bullpen and walked out of the locker room.

* * *

She was pleasantly surprised when she found the bullpen empty and even more so when she saw the donuts and coffee on her desk. She devoured both in less than 5 minutes.

When she looked up from the remains of the donuts and coffee, and was still alone, she figured Callen and Sam had left to find lunch from a nearby food truck. Deeks was probably silently annoying Nell in Ops. Determined to bury her thoughts and feelings in work, she took the first file from the stack and ignored the world around her.

_Pain is more trouble than love is worth_

_Damn right! _She snorted.

"Hey there Kens." Callen's voice broke through her thoughts as he put a brown paper bag next to her computer. While not the most approachable of guys, he was definitely what she would consider a close friend. Other than Deeks, Callen had a knack for knowing when she needed food at the right time. It wasn't always _exactly_ what she was craving, (she had a feeling Deeks was the only person on Earth who could do that), but she always appreciated the attempt.

"Thanks Callen. How is the CHiPs assignment going?" Sure, a light bit of teasing on her part would probably bring more harm than good, but the thought of them dressed up in their highway patrol gear again was hilarious. She had a strong urge to call Callen 'Captain Tightpants' every time he had to put it on.

Deeks did not like that. He considered it "over sharing".

"Yeah, we are hoping to get some traction on Siderov's crew through various smuggling operations but so far we are coming up empty." He sat down at his desk, looking at her devour her lunch. "You know, if you're still hungry after that I'LL GIVE YOU DEEKS' LUNCH IF HE DOESN'T GET DOWN HERE IN TIME." Kensi cringed as his voiced boomed through the building. It was obviously meant to get Deeks' attention and she was not looking forward to his blue-eyed gaze staring at her for the rest of the day.

She kept her eyes on her computer screen as she heard the doors to Ops open and shut. In her head, she imagined the way the light bounced off his blond long-ish hair as he raced down the steps. While she had grown to love the hair and the scruff, it was his eyes she was always a little obsessed with, if she was being honest with herself. Blue like the ocean on a cloudless sunny day, when he was happy, but dark and stormy when he was angry or hurt.

_Stop it Kensi! This is what got you in trouble last night. HIS EYES. Argggggh! _

It was truly stupid how much she thought of him. Like a dog chasing it's own tail stupid. And honestly, she couldn't blame herself for sneaking a peak at him once and a while. She may be a hardened former Marine and federal agent, a survivor of the streets, capable of taking down men twice her size and strength, but she wasn't blind, damnit! She couldn't help the thoughts that crept in her mind when Hetty dressed him in a sharp three-piece suit or tight jeans and a blue button down shirt that clung to his chest for their undercover work. It usually took her a good two minutes to refocus her brain after being assaulted with X-Rated images of shoving him into the nearest closet, ripping those clothes off, and having her way with him. Hell, he didn't even need to be dressed up even for her those thoughts to appear anymore.

She was so screwed_. _

_As long as he is the one that's doing it._

DAMNIT! _Shut UP brain! _


	4. Chapter 4

Nell was finishing up for the day when she felt Eric behind her. They had made plans to go see a movie yesterday, but it was hard to say no to Kensi when she asked (_more like dictated_) for a girls' night. It was always so busy in Ops, even more so now that every government agency was on high alert looking for soviet nuclear weapons on American soil. Still, she felt really bad about canceling her plans with him last minute.

"Eric?"

"Yeah, Nell?"

" I know I said this yesterday, but I'm really sorry about breaking our plans to hang out with Kensi." She was too nervous to turn around and face him so she kept her eyes focus on her tablet and the big screen in front of her.

"Nell, look at me." Nell reluctantly turned to face Eric, who cupped her chin in his hand, tilting it up so their eyes met. "Kensi does not ask to hang out with you often so honestly, it's no big deal. Relax."

His hands reached up to brush her shoulders, trying to reassure her. Eric always went out of his way to make her feel better and ever since Christmas they had been flirting with crossing the line from friends to becoming possibly something else. It was taking him _forever_ to make a move, though. They were good partners and friends so Nell wasn't too upset by it. _Oh no…._

Through the haze of caffeine and migraine, a memory from last night popped into focus.

_With a glass of wine in her hand, possibly her third, she was looking at Kens across the table at the bar. Tired of the awkward silence between them she threw out, "You know Kens, I really like Eric. I mean, REEEEEEALLY like him. I even kissed him on Christmas Eve while you guys were on that ship."_

"Hmmm. That's not good." She was so lost in thought she didn't notice she had uttered the words allowed until she saw Eric's eyes go wide and jump back from her as if he was burned.

"Oh sorry Nell!"

"Hey," She crossed the distance between them, "I was thinking about last night, it had nothing to do to you. Do you want to reschedule for tomorrow?"

"Sure, just let me know if there is anything I can help you with. This seems like a weird, girl version of the _Hangover_, you know where you woke up not knowing what the hell happened the night before? I could track the gps on your phones from last night and see if there is any security videos to help."

"What about Hetty?"

"Nell…"

"Yeah, I know. Thanks Eric."

And with a slight nod, accompanied by a gentle smile for towards her partner, Nell left the room.

* * *

It had taken all of three minutes for Kensi's worst fears to come true: Deeks was like a bloodhound when it came to her personal life. He sniffed around, poking his nose into places where it did not belong, and refused to let anything go, until he got want he wanted.

_Stubborn douchebag_

It was 4:30pm and she had only 30 minutes left til she could escape from this den of mental torture. Deeks resumed his previous tactic of staring silently

"Deeks, will you stop!"

"Stop what?"

"Looking at me."

"But partners are supposed to watch each other's backs at all times."

"We are sitting at desks, _supposed_ to be filling out paper work. I don't think that's necessary."

"I thought you agents were taught to always be prepared. You never know Kens, a rouge, militant, Twinkie could be seeking out revenge for its fallen brethren."

"Really? How old are you Deeks?"

"Old enough to know how to change a ringtone on my phone, Princess. Cause I vaguely remember you having trouble with that in the past…"

"Touch screens are stupid"

"…. So I deduced, cause I'm a detective and that's what we do, that either drunk you its a lot more tech savy than we know about, or Nell did it for you."

"Deeks!"

"What?"

"Shut. Up."

"Physically impossible."

"Clearly."

"You know I'm going to find out what happened last night eventually. You know because you know I'm good at what I do. And you, Kensi Blye, are a really bad liar."

"Deeks…"

"I love the way you say my name, SugarBear."

Seeing as she has only a few minutes left before she can make her escape, she went for the jugular.

"If you open your mouth again to me before I leave, I open the vault."

"No. You wouldn't."

His eyes widen with shock and fear. While he did care about how Callen and Sam would react to certain events of his life that he shared with Kensi (they teased him enough as it is), the vault represented the ultimate level of trust he shared with her. Breaking that was unthinkable.

"Do you want to test me Deeks?" She stood from her chair and slowly walked towards his desk, leaning on it with both hands as she drew her face within an inch of his."I am tired, hung-over, sick to my stomach, and I have a pounding headache. You have not let up since I walked in here this morning. Please, for once, listen to me and _back off_."

He took a minute into look in her mismatched brown eyes. He saw the challenge, daring him to test her and see where it leads. It frustrated him to no end that she wouldn't talk to him about last night, or why she was so pissed at him to begin with. But, as the past few years have taught him, patience has led him to greater rewards than relentlessly hounding her, no matter how amusing it is.

Taking a step back, he replied coldly, "Alright, Miss Blye, have it your way." With a slight nod to the other guys, he grabbed his things and left.

Kensi breathed a sigh of relief, although she knew she would have to make it up to him later. He's her best and closest friend. Which is weird, considering their _thing _has been growing into something that she doesn't know how to handle.

With a slight nod to Callen and Sam, who curiously remained silent throughout her and Deeks' confrontation earlier, she made her way to her car.

Sam and Callen exchanged knowing looks. 

* * *

It was about 6pm when Nell showed up at Kensi's door, take out and wine in hand. Admittedly, Kensi was not exactly a _clean_ person by anyone's standards, but for Nell she cleaned the dishes and picked up. She never picked up for Deeks because he spent a good 5 minutes doing it for her every time he was over. It was one of the reasons why she invited him for movie nights so often.

_Liar_

"So Nell, watcha got?"

"I havn't looked at it or anything."

"Ok. Is there anything you need help with to set it up?"

"No. I just brought my computer, figured we could watch it on that."

"Great. Fire it up!"

Nell turned on her computer and the program automatically started playing the events from last night.


	5. Chapter 5

**So a big THANK YOU to everyone who has stuck around for this story. The encouragement has been AWESOME! Please keep it up! **

**This one isn't as funny as the previous ones (Sorry) but it really sets up scenes for the later half of the project. **

**As always, please follow, favorite, and review! **

* * *

_Kensi and Nell stumble into Nell's apartment, laughing over something incomprehensible as they enter into frame. _

_"Oh my god did you SEE the way he was looking at you?" _

_"Yeah, but I have this thing called standards. As if he thought I didn't see him making out with the blonde he came with in the corner like 5 minutes before he walked over to me." Nell tosses her keys onto a side table. _

_"Haha Nell, I am so glad that even when we are spitting drunk, your instincts are very good. How's training going?"_

_"Eh. Some days better than others ya know." _

_They both collapse on the couch, put their feet up on the coffee table, moving to remove their heels._

_"I gotta take a leak. Where's the head?" _

_"Down the hallway to your left."_

_Kensi struggles to get up from the couch and eventually staggers out of frame. There is a loud thud followed by laughter and snorts, then a door being closed. Nell stays on the couch rubbing her feet._

_"I like the way your sailor speak comes out when you're drunk." Nell calls out to Kensi._

_"Aye aye, captain!" Kensi calls back as a door opens and a female figure limps back into frame. _

_"Nell thanks for doing this with me" she says as she plops onto the sofa next to her friend. " I am sorry if I was a little direct in wanting to do this but," she grabs Nell's arm for emphasis, " I REEALLY needed a girls night."_

_"Yeah, what was up with that Kensi? I mean, don't get me wrong, I love hanging out when it's just us, but what happened that made this a big deal at the last minute?"_

_Kensi bites her lower lip._

_"I have been having some issues with Deeks lately and I don't know how to figure it out."_

_"What kind of issues?"_

_Kensi twitches in her place uncomfortably._

_"I am not comfortable talking about this right now."_

_Kensi gets up once more and moves out of frame. She returns with two bottles in hand, giving one to Nell, and pressing play on the Ipod dock station nearby. A catchy song plays (Pokerface-Lady Gaga) and they both sing along to the chorus, dance around the couch and coffee table, using beer bottles like microphones, in between bouts of laughter. After a few songs they collapse on the couch once again, laughing hysterically. _

_"I still can't believe we got thrown out of a karaoke bar. A KARAOKE BAR, Kensi! You know you didn't _have_ to sprain his wrist."_

_"I know but he was trying to get all up on this," she gestures her hand over her body, "…while I was on stage." _

_"True, true." _

_"Ok so, what do you think about making this night more interesting?_

_"I think you owe me a song, Agent Blye." Nell said with a wink. "We had a bet and now it's time for you to pay up."_

* * *

"Ok I remember that now, we went to a Karaoke bar, I was singing, a guy put his hands on me, I had an appropriate response, we were thrown out, and then we went back to your place to sing and drink more. Is that it?" Kensi was somewhat relieved that it wasn't something worse, like a video of her spilling her heart out about her partner. Now THAT would have been bad.

"Uh Kensi, I don't think that is everything?" Nell said, as she noticed Kensi had stopped paying attention to the computer screen.

Kensi focused her gaze back to the computer. "Oh dear God, what am I doing?"

"It looks like you are singing that song, and pretty well for a drunk person, I might add. You know, relatively speaking."

Realization dawned on Kensi's face, "So, that was me on that ringtone? Singing? And how in the hell did it get there, Nell?"

"I don't know. You asked me to record it for you and I guess I must have accidentally put it on ringtone."

Kensi shrugged, giving Drunk Nell the benefit of the doubt.

"Clearly, we are useless when we are drunk."

"Well, not when it comes to knocking a guy out for smacking your ass and calling you 'Princess'," said Nell with a suggestive tone in her voice and a sideways glance at Kensi.

"Seriously Nell? Not you too." Kensi whined, knowing what she was getting at.

"Kensi, I walked in on you too wrestling on a hotel bed. You had his head in between your thighs."

"Yeah, we were just messing around..."

"With his head, in between your thighs?"

"What?"

Nell, not able to come up with a response, shook her head. She was afraid to ask if Drunk Kensi had picked out that song on purpose.

It was getting really tiring listening to them on coms, clearly flirting, and it wasn't as if it went unnoticed: everyone on the team was very aware of the possibility that at any moment something (or someone) would snap and they would just have to talk about it eventually, or risk being a witness to some very public display of affection. The problem being of course that neither of them was very good at talking about _those_ kinds of feelings; Deeks cloaked everything in jokes and sarcasm (but Nell had a feeling that of the two of them, he was more aware of the situation than he was letting on) and Kensi, well, she kept her emotions bottled up tightly, like a pressure cooker waiting to explode, making the likelihood that the public display of affection senario all the more real. There was even an office pool going around about how long it would take for them to get together. Callen and Sam had been the ones that started it. Naturally.

"Nell?"

"Yes."

"This stays between us, right?" Kensi motioned to the computer screen. "It was bad enough with the phone, imagine the guys having video footage of me singing _that _song."

"Of course, and listen, I know that that ringtone thing kinda freaked you out but honestly, it's not that big of a deal if you don't let it be. Just shrug it off like you do everything else."

"What do you mean 'everything else'?"

"Kensi, I am the smartest person at OSP. I'm not saying that to brag. It is a fact. So do not think for one second that this _thing_ between you and Deeks is nothing because it affects _all of us_. On a daily basis."

"You mean the banter and teasing? What is wrong with that? Sam and Callen do it all the time!" Her voice had risen slightly.

"Sure, but they don't get jealous when the other is asked by Granger to go on an undercover mission to get intel on nuclear weapons. Eric and I hear _everything_ on coms. It gets very weird sometimes."

Not knowing how to respond, Kensi decided to go on the offensive.

"So how are things going with Eric?"

"Really well actually. We have a movie date tomorrow, for your information."

Kensi knew she had reacted badly.

"Look, sorry Nell, I'm really happy things are going well with you. Is it 'official'?"

"Kensi, we are just taking things slow. Seeing where the wind takes us. At work we are focused and then outside of that we are just us. Dating inside the workplace has its hazards, of course, but I would rather see where it goes than wonder about it for the rest of my life."

Nell's speech struck a cord in her friend, she knew because Kensi kept her eyes focused on her hands. What happened the night before wasn't about the events as much as the thoughts it sparked in Kensi.

After a few minutes in silence, Nell thought it was time to go.

"I should take off. Please enjoy the wine and the food."

Nell made a hasty retreat from the awkwardness of her friend's presence.

* * *

After Nell left, Kensi didn't want to be alone with her thoughts, plus it was barely 8pm, so she decided to go out for a run. Running always helped quiet her mind when she was restless or antsy.

_Antsy in your pants! _

She sighed in acknowledgement. It wasn't as if anyone was around to….

"Hey Kens, what are you doing here?"

_Crap crap crap. Last person on Earth that should be here, is._

_Typical Deeks._

Sure enough, her partner, dressed in board shorts and a loose fitted hoodie, barely zipped so his tight t-shirt was visible, jogged up to her side as she stopped for a breather.

_I should have just kept on running._

_But then you wouldn't be able to oogle him. Look at his chest!_

_Nope, not going to do that! _

Annoyed at the inner turmoil in her head, Kensi sighed and looked at her partner.

"Just trying to clear my head, Deeks."

"Cool. Do you want company? It has been a while since we've gone on a run together." He had that warm, friendly, smile on his face that made Kensi weak in the knees.

_And weak in other places too *wink*._

_SHUT UP BRAIN!_

"You didn't bring Monty with you?"

"No he was sleeping. And I don't usually run this late so I figured he wouldn't appreciate me waking him up." With a side glance at Kensi, he added "He's kinda like you in that respect, he _hates_ being woken up from his naps."

She knew what he was trying to do, annoy her, but she really didn't have the energy for it tonight.

"I really don't. I am making a loop around the park up there then taking the main road back to my place. You're welcome to join but you have to keep up." She smiled as she sprinted off, giving him chase. "I'm not slowing my pace for you." She called back to him.

"Wouldn't want it any other way." He grinned to himself as he raced after her.

When he finally caught up to her, he matched her pace, but allowed her to stay in front a step or two, so he could enjoy the view. Also, he was enjoying some one on one time with his partner. She was much more open when it was just her and him.

Catching on to him oogling her behind, Kensi turned around but continued jogging.

"Why are you out so late?"

"Maybe I was hoping to run into your gorgeous self, Princess?"

"Really?"

"Hey watch out!" He reached out to her to pull her to him, as she was about to hit a bench.

The air was pushed out of her lungs as she slammed into him.

_My face is in his chest. My face is in his chest! Oh my god, oh my god! Think brain, THINK! Holy crap he smells good, even when he is sweating. How do you expect to function when you are that close to him? Just kiss him already!_

Deeks staggered back from the force of him pulling her to him. He had a sheepish grin on his face as he looked down at her, hoping his charm would keep her from punching him in his ribs.

"Sorry about that Kens, you were about to get knocked on your ass by that bench and I…"

"No it's fine. Thanks Deeks." She said immediately, trying to put some distance between them so her brain would start to work again. But he held on to her arms with a firm grip.

"Look, I don't know what is going on with you today but I really didn't appreciate you pulling out the 'vault' card."

"Deeks, I only did that because you just don't know when to quit sometimes."

"Singing karaoke isn't a big deal, Kens."

_WHAT?!_


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello readers! Today is my birthday so in honor of that I thought I would gift the next part of the story to you!**

**As always, thank you so much for your advice and reviews! The encouragement has been essential to keep me motivated for this project. We are moving close to the end of this story and I have a few other ideas in the works, but I want to get a complete story out before starting on something new. **

**As I'm sure you have gathered, this story takes place sometime in season 4 around the Siderov debacle. **

**Enjoy! :)**

* * *

Kensi Blye isn't pathetic. She isn't a woman that likes to be rescued or carried. In fact, chivalry to her is about as grotesque as a three eyed toad. He assumed this was a result of having to deal with criminals on a daily basis. But that was _his _girl, the tight-lipped, straight-laced, kick-ass, sexy as hell, Kensi Blye. She didn't want a defender or protector, as she made very clear to him on numerous occasions. It was like pulling teeth to get her to admit that she needed help or that she was in trouble. When he started working with her, she was so tightly wound he could have sworn that he could stick a piece of coal up her ass and she would crap out a diamond. Crude, yes, but then again he was only just getting to know her. Even then, he was just obsessed over her physical attributes as what was on her mind.

_Still am. _

There was never a dull moment with her, however, he always felt there was something simmering beneath that steely, well controlled, exterior his partner had everyday for work. So when he found Eric watching footage of them at the karaoke bar, he was shocked and thrilled to find a little bit of a wild, care-free, Kensi on stage.

Kensi's reflexes kicked in, and punched him as hard as she could.

"What did you just say?"

"Jesus, Kens, what have you been doing, Ironman training?" he weezed clutching his stomach.

"Man up Deeks, I didn't hit you hard."

"Are you kidding me?! I'm pretty sure you fractured a rib or bruised it at least. Damn Kensi, use your words!"

She crossed her arms over her chest and gave her partner the death glare.

"Fine. Lets talk. How did you find out?"

"Eric. When I went back to Ops to get some stuff, I found Eric going through security footage of Nell from that night. I figured I could stick around and see what happened with you too. I have to say the choice of songs did surprise me. Why did you pick that one for your ringtone? Although I did thoroughly enjoy you nearly breaking that guys wrist when he smacked your ass."

"Deeks…"

"Kens," he straightened, kept his gaze steady with hers, "there is no one else here, it's just me. You can _always_ talk to me about anything. You know that right? Please tell me what is going on."

"It's not that easy."

"What is the big damn deal?"

"Deeks, I have no right to tell you what to do when we're off duty, and you have no say in what I do, so let's just leave it at that ok?"

Deeks planted sly grin on his face. The Kensi he saw in that video surprised him. She was vivacious yet soft, with her eyes closed as she sang into the microphone. When she sang, he believed the words. More than anything, he wanted to see Kensi like that again. But he kept silent.

Kensi threw her hands up in frustration and started walking away from him.

"Was that really necessary Deeks? I mean, what the hell were you two doing or _thinking_?! Privacy is a very real thing Deeks, and I kinda like mine." She was getting really upset now.

_Shit_

"The way you were acting today, I was really worried about you, so yeah. I did not know you could get thrown out of one of those things, Kens. Bravo!" He was trying to change the subject to keep their conversation from taking a very dangerous turn. Dangerous for him anyway because Kensi was getting angrier by the second.

Kensi was not having it.

"Yeah I did, because some jackass thought he could get away with playing grab ass with me while I was on stage. Now what do you think," she emphasized the last words with a poke to his chest, "I will do to YOU for putting your nose where it does not belong?"

He knew that no matter how often she threatened to kill him, shoot him, or just kick his ass, she would never take it farther than a punch. Even if she didn't punch like a girl, it was better than being shot, so he couldn't complain too much. All he had to do was turn on the charm, put on his puppy face, and she would melt. It never happened immediately, but he was a patient guy where Kensi was concerned, and it served him well for getting out of serious physical pain she could inflict on him.

"I think you'll bat your pretty little eyelashes at me, while hissing and spitting like the upset kitty cat you are, then punch me and make me do some awful job, like digging in a sewer, for an assignment."

He couldn't help himself.

"Deeks, I can not believe you are joking right now cause I am dead serious. This is a major trust violation. "

"Alright, what do you need for me to do to make this right? I told you about my misspent youth in the exotic dance arena. Do you want me to get up on stage and do a bit for you?"

He mimed shimmying his hips. This was his Hail Mary play. It was a tried and true tactic: self deprecating humor or actions to get her to calm down.

She stayed silent staring at him in disbelief.

_Now how to get what he really wanted. _

"Given my experience on stage, both in a band and as other forms of entertainment, I believe I can best you, Miss Blye, in the art of winning a crowd."

"What are you talking about?"

"I mean: you, me, onstage, a karaoke-off." He knew she could never resist a challenge.

She arched her eyebrow.

"Terms?"

_Good. She's hooked. Time to reel her in. _

"Songs must me chosen by the group. The group votes on who is better."

"So what are we wagering?"

_Crap. Didn't think this far ahead. _

"Well, Princess, what do you want if you win?"

"Deal. I win, you have to cut your hair."

"Seriously? Why? You LOVE my hair!"

"Stakes have to be high, Deeks, otherwise, what's the point?"

"Touche. However, if I win, I want to drive, be master of the car radio, AND," he paused for emphasis, "and NO PUNCHING for a month."

"What the hell Deeks, that's like three things."

"Here is the difference: my hair takes a while to grow back. Plus, it's visible to everyone so I'm taking a big risk here. It's not like I'm asking you to shave your head."

"Fine. Deal."

Inwardly, Deeks grinned to himself as they shook hands. Either way, it was totally going to be worth it.

* * *

They ran back to her place, showered (separately), and he stayed the night. However, rather than sleeping in her bed with her as he had been allowed to do in the past, Kensi banned him from her bedroom as punishment for snooping.

Next morning, they woke up early to get to Deeks' apartment to feed and walk Monty, who was glad to see Kensi, as always, before heading into work. They agreed to pick a date for the karaoke night sometime later in the week, just in case work came up.

Given Deeks' natural penchant for making a bet into an event for everyone on the team, he had been able to rope the others into participating as well. The Siderov case however, kept derailing their plans. It wasn't until a few months after Sam and Deeks had healed that Callen brought up the bet once more, much to the chagrin of Kensi.

"So, whatever happened to the karaoke bet?"

Deeks perked up, looked over at Kensi, grinning mischievously.

Kensi thought she was going to be sick.

"Shit!"


	7. Chapter 7

**HAPPY JULY 4TH! **

**This is a longer one to hold some of you over while I break for the holiday in the States. The tone in the later part of the story is different, just to clarify. A little angst never hurt anyone right? Let me know what you think. **

**THANK YOU: Readers, Reviewers, and Followers. You have made this experiment exciting and fun. I enjoy entertaining you. **

**Whether or not you are celebrating a holiday, have a wonderful day! **

**Back to the story!**

* * *

Ever since Callen brought up the bet, Kensi felt sick to her stomach. She tried to find ways to get out of it, like having a movie night with her mother or going to play poker with Astrid, but Deeks sat her down and conned her into it with those blue eyes and puppy dog face of his. It really wasn't fair.

Later that week, they had carpooled to a mutually agreed upon karaoke bar/club. It had taken a while for Nell and Eric to find one that did not interfere with their known aliases or accomplices. So at 5 o clock, Deeks giddily ushered everyone out of the Mission and they were off to enjoy a night of public humiliation.

"Callen, I hate you sooo much."

Deeks kept grinning at her, "Ah don't be such a sore loser Kensi. This is going to be fun."

"What do you mean by 'loser'? Nothing has started yet," she scoffed.

"I know, I just like getting you all riled up, Fern. You have this adorable pouty face when you get frustrated."

"Deeks!"

"See, there it is!"

He was prepared for the punch when it came.

As the group laughed, Kensi looked around the bar, dancing couples, loud music, and settled her gaze on her partner, who was grinning like a kid in a candy store. Part of her felt guilty for not thinking of this to cheer him up sooner. However after the kiss, then the subsequent kidnapping and torture of both Sam and Deeks, there was too much going on to remember the bet.

Deeks' recovery had been difficult; there was a lot of damage done to his jaw and he had trouble keeping the stitches in because he wanted to talk all the time. But Kensi kept careful watch over him after he was released into her custody from the hospital. Nearly losing Deeks was the single most terrifying thing she had ever experienced in her life and she wouldn't trust anyone else with taking care of her partner. Hetty gave the all agents extended time to heal and regroup before returning to work so Kensi spent the better part of the next four months at his place, maybe taking an hour or two every week to go back to her place to get a change of clothes.

Kensi knew it hadn't been his first time being tortured; he was a product of an abusive home life after all. So when the stitches came out of his mouth he was back to annoying her with his incessant conversations. She didn't mind though. After everything they had both been through, it was nice to be able to laugh again.

Nighttime was a different story. He had nightmares about the ordeal, which he was reluctant to talk about, but it was always worse when they didn't share a bed. When he was given a clean bill of heath and cleared from the psych eval, she went back to her place, reluctantly. However, within an hour, Deeks was at her door with pizza, beer, and Monty.

Their _thing_ was at Defcon 50. She was a bundle of nerves. Normally taking care of a particular itch herself could solve this but since she and Deeks spent almost every waking minute together, Kensi had no private time. In addition, the looks he had been throwing at her screamed _I want to do you now_, no matter how subtle he tried to be.

_So why hadn't he brought up the kiss?_

Callen didn't look the least bit apologetic about putting her in this predicament. "Sorry Kens, I really think this will help decompress everyone. Plus, I have been looking forward to Sam singing "Macho Man" ever since Deeks suggested this."

"Hell no G, I'm not singing that song. Give it a rest!"

Callen just smiled.

"Gotta follow the rules big guy. The group chooses the songs."

At this Sam gave a very intense stare to everyone in the group.

"If any of you goes along with Callen's stupid idea, you will all regret it." He ended his threat by glaring at Deeks, who grinned while standing behind Kensi, pretending to hide behind her. She rolled her eyes.

"Well we have an hour to get liquored up before the stage opens. So that's where I'll be." Eric sprinted to the bar, followed by Nell, who shrugged towards the group as she passed.

Sam, Callen, and Michelle, who had become an impromptu member of their group since they had closed the Siderov case, went to find a table. They snaked through the dancing crowd and eventually settled at a large booth along the wall, leaving Deeks and Kensi standing near the entrance.

"I am so looking forward to a month with out being punched."

"What makes you think you're going to be the one that wins?"

"Well, I am not above using Sam's guilt in getting his vote, Eric and I are buds, Nell thinks I'm cute, which leaves Michelle and Callen for you. I think I have a pretty good shot here." His classic grin was plastered to his face; his eyes were bright and happy.

Before Kensi could stop herself, she grinned back. But then she had an idea.

"So, I'm thinking I would like to alter the terms of the bet." She smiled up at him. While Deeks thought he had their teammates in the bag, she had one crucial advantage over him.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. If I win, you take me out on a date. You and me," she stepped closer to him, put her hand up to the collar of his jacket, her lips grazed his ear, "all dressed up, at a really nice restaurant. You in a suit, me in a really tight dress." She felt him shiver as she lightly breathed into his ear.

_Easier than taking a candy from a baby. _

"Uhhhh….. um." He swallowed hard, trying to find his voice.

"That is, unless you don't want to. You know what, it was a stupid idea, nevermind." Kensi turned to walk away, grinning to herself. She knew Deeks well enough that the image of her in a dress drained the blood from his brain.

" NO! I mean, knew you couldn't bare to see me with out these golden locks."

"Good cover."

Deeks watched as Kensi walked away to join the others at the booth. He was struggling to process what she just did. Kensi was a very competitive person, but would she really stoop so low as to agree to a date if she won?

Yes, absolutely.

"Well, two people can play this game."

Deeks rushed through the crowd towards Kensi, grabbed her hand before she reached the booth, and pulled her to the dance floor.

* * *

"G, what did you do?" Sam growled at Callen. While Nell, Eric and Michelle were engrossed in conversation, Sam and Callen observed Kensi whispering to Deeks and how he then dramatically whisked her to the dance floor.

Callen put his hands up defensively "I was right here! I had nothing to do with that!"

"Seriously? You were the one that brought this whole thing up!"

"Relax. Tonight is just about watching everyone make fools of themselves while we laugh and drink. How is this not a great way to relax and get some healthy team bonding?"

"G! I have no interest in watching two of our teammates eat each other's faces while I am trying to enjoy a night out."

"What song do you think you're going to sing? I am still strongly advocating 'Macho Man' but I am open to suggestions."

"Haha, laugh it up G, because I have a good one for you too."

"Care to share?"

"No. I want to see the look on your face when you realize what song it is."

"How do you know I know this particular song?"

"If you listen to talk radio, you will have heard this song. And if you havn't, more fun for me." Sam was grinning ear to ear.

"Can't wait. Give me your best-shot Sam. I will bury you with my musical talents."

"What musical talents? I've heard you hum, and it's always off tune."

Callen opened his mouth to respond but was interrupted by a female voice to Sam's right.

Michelle looked between Sam and Callen. She loved the fact that Callen was around for Sam and vice versa, but sometimes their conversations were too much for her to handle. "Boys settle down. I did not get a babysitter for tonight to just watch you banter back and forth like The Odd Couple. I have to do that every Friday night. This is Thursday. Act like it!"

Sam crossed his arms over his massive chest, mimicking Callen.

"Fine."

"Fine"

Noticing Sam glare in the direction of the still dancing Deeks and Kensi, Michelle decided to put in her two cents on that issue put forward by her husband. Being a CIA trained spy herself, she had been able to follow their conversation while her attention was on the tech analysts, who were planning a trip to the NYC Comic-Con.

"Besides, I highly doubt they are not doing anything Hetty would not approve of."

A stunned Callen and Sam turned back to look at her.

"Please clarify for Sam and I what that meant."

"I assume if Hetty had any issue with them being together, she would have taken care of it by now. I highly doubt she lets agents go into the field together if she doesn't think they work well together. Just look at you two." She shrugged as she took a long sip from her beer.

Callen was indignant, "What is wrong with us?"

Ignoring his partner, he answered his wife,"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I have to like it." Sam tightened his arms. While he and Deeks were on better terms than before they were tortured, he was against the idea of field operatives being in that kind of relationship in general. It was a complication he would rather avoid.

Eric's urgent, panicked, whisper caught everyone's attention. "Guys they're coming over, new topic, _new topic!"_

"Eric, you need to lay off the beer for a little bit." Nell lifted the beer bottle from Eric's shaking hands and placed it out of his reach.

"How much have you had Eric?" Callen arched an eyebrow at the tech analyst.

"He's just nervous about the singing." Nell interjected, trying to save her companion from further scrutiny.

Deeks and Kensi appeared at the booth, Nell and Eric shifted closer to the middle of the circular table to let them sit down.

"Hey guys, no one bothered to get anything for us I see, well that's teamwork for ya."

Sam snorted, "We figured you were over 21 and able to get your own alcoholic beverage, Deeks."

"Ah Sam, your wit amuses me. Fine. Next rounds on me then, anyone care to help?"

Callen stood up before anyone else could respond, visibly annoying Deeks who had hoped Kensi would join him.

"Sure," he clasped his hands on Deeks shoulders, turned him around to face the bar, "lead the way, Shaggy."

Deeks' protest at the reference to his cartoon look-a-like was heard as Callen pushed him through the crowd to the bar.

The group's conversation was interrupted by a voice from the stage, announcing the beginning of the Karaoke portion of the evening.

They had drawn straws before they left the Mission to determine the order of which everyone would sing. It was Callen, Deeks, Eric, Nell, Sam, and Kensi. Michelle was the tiebreaker. The singer would not know what song the group had agreed upon until they reached the stage.

"All right Callen," grinned Nell, after he and Deeks had returned with the beers, "go get in line now so we can choose your song." Nell's enthusiasm unsettled Callen. He considered her a 'Hetty in training'.

"Alright, but I'm just going to say this: "Secret Agent Man" is a perfectly fine choice for me."

"It will be taken into consideration." Deeks teased.

Kensi snorted into her beer, "Ha! Yeah right Callen."

As he left, everyone looked to Sam. There was no realistic way anyone was going to deny him the opportunity of choosing the perfect karaoke song for his partner.

"PokerFace."

* * *

Across the room, Callen saw the table erupt with laughter and he started to regret this whole idea, especially after the DJ laughed when Nell whispered the song in her ear.

_Fuck! _

As he got on stage, he looked at the screen to see what song they had chosen, but noticed the familiar beat through the speakers behind him. He rolled his eyes in annoyance, cursing his partner in his head. Then he shrugged. If he was going to do this, he was going to do it right.

The music started, Callen spoke into the microphone, pointing at the table, and winked.

"This is for my partner, the best man I know. "

As Callen was singing, he was good enough (although kinda pitchy) to attract a small contingent of single females to the edge of the stage who wanted a closer look.

"Oh dear god," breathed Nell, "he's really goin for it, isn't he?"

Kensi laughed (snorted really) and nodded in the affirmative as she pulled out her cell to record Callen's antics on stage.

"_After he's been hooked I'll play the one that's on his heart/Oh, oh, oh, oohhhh. Oh-oh-e-oh-oh/ I'll get him hot, show him what I've got…"_

Deeks didn't say anything, just smiled and laughed with the rest of the group. Sam, who also had his phone out to record his partner's antics, hollered out random phrases of encouragement from "Yeah that's it!" to "Sing it!" Michelle, for her part, was laughing so hard tears were streaming down her face.

Kensi could not resist a little dig at her partner, "I had no idea he could move his hips like that. What do you think Deeks?"

Laughing at her remark, Deeks leaned in close to Kensi's ear and whispered, "Sugarbear, I had no idea you were into guys like that. If you want, I can give you a private show later." He was expecting a punch, but when she rolled her eyes, he winked, "Duly noted."

Michelle catcalled and whistled.

"Damn, is he trying to impersonate Elvis singing Lady Gaga?"

"That would be an accurate way to describe it, I guess." Eric shrugged.

Sam shaking with laughter could barely speak.

_"I wanna roll with him a hard pair we will be/a little gambling is fun with you're with me (I love it)/ Russian roulette is not the same with out a gun/ and baby when it's love if its not rough it isn't fun fun"_

"Whatever. He is never going to live this down. This is going to make stakeouts awesome!"

* * *

As Callen approached the table, arms above his head as if he had just won a race, he was greeted by the group holding up signs with numbers.

"Ah so what is this, Dancing with the Stars but with karaoke?"

"We are upholding the spirit of true competition, you know, where we judge people based on our subjective opinion, rather than actual skill." Eric explained with a grin.

"Great. So if this is based on a scale from 1 to 10, 10 being the best, I have," he added silently in his head, "49, not bad. Beat that Deeks!"

"Oh I plan on it. Although I have to say, I docked off a couple of points for being too pitchy, so watch out for that next time, kay?" He smacked Callen on the shoulder, gave Kensi a wink, and strolled off to wait in line for the stage.

Callen chuckled as he took his vacant seat next to Sam. "So Kensi, any suggestions for Deeks?"

"Sure, but I just want to clarify one thing. The partners get to choose the song and everyone just agrees with them?"

"Yeah."

"Pretty much, that's the idea." Eric and Nell nodded.

"Great. I'm thinking something by Donny and Marie."

"Really Kens?"

"I don't know. I'm really bad at this, ok. Anyone else have a better idea?"

Sam grinned. "Nope, this will be all you."

Kensi rolled her eyes. "Thanks for the back up guys."

"Hey, we are off duty, and in this particular situation, yes, I will leave you out to dry."

"Thanks Sam"

"No problem Kensi"

"Fine. So for that, you all don't get to know what I am going to have him sing." She huffed, and went to the DJ booth to submit the song that Deeks would sing but she had not paid attention and bumped into him as he was passing a piece of paper to the girl DJ.

"Hi Deeks," she tapped his shoulder, startling him, then stared him down, "whatcha doin?" There was an edge to her voice she didn't bother to hide.

"Nothin, just passin my number to this really cute DJ here."

No, this did not bother Kensi. After all, Deeks was a single guy, so the mental image of round-house kicking him through a plate-glass window was completely irrational right? It might have been the drinks, because it certainly wasn't jealousy that told the DJ to make him sing, "I'm a Bitch" by Merideth Brooks. Smiling to herself, she returned to the booth, waiting to see how he would react.

* * *

The music started just as Kensi returned to the rest of the group, but it wasn't the song that she had chosen. There were horns with a smooth R&B beat. When she realized what song he was singing, her mouth dropped and her face turned bright red.

"_Baby I need your lovin, baby I need your lovin_

_Although you're never near, your voice I often hear_

_Another day, another night, I long to hold you tight" _

_SONOFABITCH!_

"So… uh… Kensi?" Nell muttered under her breath, "was that the song you wanted him to sing?"

"No Nell, it wasn't."

Again, Sam was doubled over in laughter, whereas Callen and the rest of the team stared at her with quizzical expressions. Michelle had a knowing smile on her face.

"Seriously, I told her to play, 'I'm a Bitch'."

"Subtle."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean Callen?"

"Oh, I was referring to Deeks." That made Sam laugh harder. Nell was trying not to laugh, as was Eric who took his cue from her.

Kensi's face turned a darker shade of red.

"You know G, I say this about once a week, but I really think she might shoot him this time."

"And you said this wasn't going be fun."

"I don't know, baby, he has got some moves, mmmm. Maybe you could learn a thing or two from Deeks." Michelle elbowed her husband.

Sam wrapped his right arm around his wife's shoulders and pulled her in to kiss her temple.

No, Kensi was not enjoying Deeks' public antics right now, no matter how close they were to every cheezey declaration of love in all those chick flicks she liked. In real life, she wasn't that type of girl. Not after Jack. Not after all the things she has seen with this job.

His voice _was not _silky smooth like chocolate, the way his hips had moved against her while they were on the dance floor did not make her think of dragging him to a dark room to do scandalous things, nor did his eyes make her feel like she had butterflies in her stomach.

This was just embarrassing. Clearly, Deeks had too much to drink or was working through a midlife crisis or something. Yeah, that had to be it.

_Unless he was suicidal._

"_Some say it's a sign of weakness for a man to beg._

_ But weak I'd rather be if it means havin you to keep _

_cause lately I've been losin sleep."_

Deeks was in his element on stage. By this time, the number of women that Callen attracted to the stage had tripled for Deeks. Women were giggling and giving him suggestive glances, most were catcalling and whistling at him.

_Idiots_.

The song was almost over, and Kensi, tired of the sniggers from the group and the voices in her head, got out of the booth, and steadily walked over to the bar through the crowd. As she pushed her way through, she could feel his eyes burning into her back as he sang. She knew what he was doing: challenging her to make the next move. This thing between them, the flirting, joking, glances that were miles deep, touching, it wasn't funny anymore.

Something inside her shifted at that moment. She loved Deeks. But could she really afford to trust all of herself to him? Her future? _Fuck! _Why did he have to sing that damn song? She ordered a drink; a double shot of Jack Daniels.

Lost in her thoughts, she was startled when she heard a familiar voice behind her, "So, what did ya think, Princess? Think you can beat that?"

Still leaning on the bar, her back to him, she shrugged.

"Definitely."

"What makes you so sure?"

Kensi downed her drink in one gulp and turned around to face him.

"You cheated."

She deliberately put an edge in her voice when she spoke because there were multiple layers to her feelings about it. What should have been private, he made public. He had embarrassed her in front to the team. And to top it all off, he was flirting with the fuckin DJ right in front of her. He pushed her, so now she was pushing him back in the attempt to force him to prove himself to her. Obviously in the field he had, he saved her life on countless occasions, that wasn't the issue. Bottom line: she didn't know where she stood with him, whether their relationship outside of work was as important to him as it was to her.

He must have seen something in her eyes because he grew immediately concerned and confused, but when he tried to reach for her she pushed him away.

"Look Kens, I…"

"You know what Deeks, this whole thing, I can't do this." She waved her hand between her and him. "I'm going home. Tell the guys that I'm not feeling well or something. Or better yet, tell them I left because I was afraid I was going to murder you in front of this entire room. That's actually closer to the truth."

Before he could protest, she brushed by him and didn't look back as she kicked the doors open and walked into the setting sun.

* * *

From the booth, Callen and Sam saw the scene play out between the other pair.

"G…"

"Yeah I know, you were right, bad idea."

"Just so you don't forget this moment, I am going to clean this mess up, and you are going to buy me another drink." Sam shimmied his way out of the booth and walked over to Deeks.

* * *

_What the fuck just happened?_

This night was supposed to be about having a good time and being able to see another side of his partner that she kept hidden from him. It bothered him that he had yet to witness her in that brief moment of wild abandon, it also bothered him that she had yet to let him in. Hell, he kissed her right before he was taken, and months later, it was still something they hadn't talked about. Sure he could have been subtler with the song choice, and maybe shouldn't have lied that it was his phone number that he was giving the DJ, but he thought she would have figured it out once he started singing. Besides, he was tired of waiting. She was the person he wanted, damnit, and he wasn't worried about the performance at work because they were practically in a relationship as it is, just with out the sex part.

"Subtle Deeks."

Running his hand through his hair, he turned to Sam.

"Yeah, I'm starting to think that it was a mistake."

"So what are you going to do about it?"

"What do you mean?"

"Deeks, I am not blind. Something you did, I don't know what, pushed her over the edge and you need to bring her back. You're a good team. You have both been through a lot. You need to fix this." Deeks opened his mouth to say something but Sam cut him off, "Don't care, leave, now!" He pointed towards the door.

With a curt nod, Deeks rushed out to follow Kensi.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hi there everybody! Thanks for all the wonderful support. I have heard your comments and this is the next chapter to my story. **

**So I really need constructive criticism, or compliments, on my characterizations. It would be a great help. **

**I am looking to wrap up this story in 2 more chapters, in order to pursue more project ideas. :)**

**As always, please continue to read, favorite, follow, and review! **

* * *

In the cab home she texted Nell to ask her if she could take her to the Mission tomorrow to pick up her car. They had car pooled together to the club earlier that night, but she hadn't responded yet. Kensi wasn't worried; she had other things on her mind.

_Like how to deal with Deeks. _

She loved him. Kensi loved Deeks. Her partner. So now what?

On impulse, she stripped, jumped into the shower, turned it on hot, and just stood there. Maybe the solace of rushing water could help clear her mind. She had to wash that day away, letting all the humiliation, anger, fear, whatever, flow off of her and down the drain.

Running her hands through her hair, fingernails massaging her scalp, she tried desperately anything that would make her feel something other than the contradictory emotions that were going unchecked through her mind. Obviously, if she had known that a damn song would have led to this, a near emotional breakdown, she would have kept her mouth shut.

It was out of control. She had to find something to hold on to.

Suddenly she turned of the shower, went to her room, turned on her ipod to her regular work out remix. In the hope to drown out her mind, she plugged it to her speakers and cranked the volume up. Techno wasn't the only thing she listened to, it was just helpful in streamlining her focus. Almost naked in the bra and boy shorts she threw on, she started picking up her room. Order. She needed control and right now she had control over her space.

Kensi Blye was not a neat person, but in extreme emotional distress her coping mechanism was to clean the shit out of something. Maybe in a weird, twisted, way her messiness was a method of giving herself something to do when shit hit the fan. She dumped all the beer bottles and carry out containers into trash bags, newspapers and magazines she had accumulated were thrown out. Knicknacks were put in zip-lock bags or boxes neatly. The plethora of trash bags were piled next to the door.

She could deal with the blood, the guts, the long hours, and darkness of the job. She thrived on it. Hunting down bad guys and saving people was easy, relatively speaking of course. Every once and a while, there was a case that proved the existence of evil to her, like Siderov, and when she had started out those were difficult to put behind her, but this was different. The emotional turmoil caused by the implication of her and Deeks moving towards something that was more than partners and friends tore through her body like fire in her blood.

_Just focus on cleaning._

_Order. _

_Control. _

_Breathe. _

* * *

Deeks was worried. There were only a few times were he had done something that had really hurt Kensi, even if that wasn't his intention. The time he asked her if the reason why her father taught her all that nature stuff was because he secretly wanted a son and the other when he read her journal.

_Fuck_.

They had practically lived together for over four months. He had been flirting with the line with their thing more and more recently, but this was the first time where she really pushed him back. Problem: he wasn't ready to go back.

He hadn't driven to the club so he wandered around the area, looking for a cab to hail. It took about 30 minutes for him to find one, 30 precious minutes wasted, plus all the damn traffic.

When he finally ran up to the front door of her apartment, he heard the loud music through the door. There was no way she was going to hear him knocking. That was probably the point but he didn't care.

Talking to her, being with her, was his oxygen.

Prepared for a sudden attack he picked the lock on her door and tried to open it. He thought she had barred it with something to keep him out, which turned out to be trash bags. Now he was definitely worried. Kensi didn't clean.

"Kensi," he yelled over the music coming from the bedroom. He heard a thud and cursing from the bathroom.

"Get out!"

He rounded the corner and saw his partner on the floor of her bathroom holding her head. But she was naked. Deeks' upper brain function stopped. What? He's a guy.

Furious that he wasn't moving, she yelled louder, "Deeks! What the hell?! Get the fuck out!"

Even when she was naked and pissed as a rattlesnake, she was still the most beautiful woman in the world. Thankfully, he regained use of his limbs and, tired of the blaring techno, he went to turn off the music but returned to a closed door.

"Kens, why are you naked?" He couldn't mask the playful tone in his voice.

"Because I want to be, which wasn't a problem until you broke in. " She shot back.

He grinned. "Touche. So can I give you some clothes so we can talk?"

Kensi yelled back, "You know, I really don't want to talk to you right now."

He knew that trying to out do her in a yelling contest would lead to the advantageous ending he wanted. So he kept his composure, cool as a cucumber, and didn't forget to ham up the cockiness he knew would get her to talk to him.

"Well, then you have a problem cause I am not leaving until you talk to me. And I think I can outlast you on this SugarBear. The kitchen is on my side of the door, along with all that junk food you put into your body. Sooner or later you _will_ talk to me."

Apparently, that was the last straw.

Kensi, in all her naked, sweaty glory, flung the door open, barreled through the doorway right up to her partner.

"Who the fuck do you think you are?" She bellowed, shoving her index finger into his pectoral muscle, "What the hell gives you the right to tell me what I am or am not going to do? Are you nuts? "

Deeks heard the yelling, he just didn't comprehend what she was saying because Kensi was naked. Again, brain function stopped. Images of him and his partner flitted through his mind. Now was not the time for sexy day dreams through. The only thing he could do was close his eyes and try to focus on what he wanted.

Out of an unconscious reflex his eyes had drifted away from her face. She was better in real life than his dreams, and he would take a kick to the groin as long as he embedded this moment into his memory forever. He just hoped it wouldn't come to that.

"Hey perv! Eyes off the chest!" She shoved him back against the wall of the hall.

"What do you want me to do? You're naked, I'm just a guy appreciating the female form of his partner. Quiet frankly I think this is long overdue. I can't help it, you're hot! Would you rather me be gay?"

Looking down at her body, as if suddenly aware of the lack of clothing, she hastily tried to cover up the important parts as her face started changing color.

"Why yes actually, right now, that would be fantastic." Sarcasm was her go to weapon of defense in this particular situation.

"We both know that's a lie." he chuckled.

'WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU WANT DEEKS?" Yeah, she was about to kill him now.

While he was appreciating the view, it was time to get serious before she castrated him.

"Damnit Kens, I cant talk to you while you're naked. Put some clothes on." He yelled back, reluctantly.

"Fine!" She jumped passed him, into her room, and slammed the door.

"When you're done, I'll be on the couch." He turned and walked down the hall.

* * *

It only took her a minute to locate a t-shirt and a pair of yoga pants that were near her door, then she was right in front of him again, bristling for a fight. He rubbed his hands over his face. Fighting with Kensi was the last thing on his mind, but he was going to do his best to keep their thing from exploding in his face.

Kensi took a deep breath to steady the pent up frustration, before asking calmly,

"So what are you doing here?"

He gave her his best smile.

"Good, we are speaking normally again. There is the small unresolved issue of you wanting to kill me in front of a full room of people. I thought that needed to be addressed. I can't go out in the field with a partner that has homicidal tendencies towards me."

"I tend to react that way to being publically humiliated by my _partner_ in front of the entire team_!" _she snarled.

_Oh, what now?_

"Really, were you the one singing on stage? Cause I felt that made me the target of humiliation."

"Not really if you got to pick the song genius."

He smiled, "So what song did you want me to sing?" Changing topics sometimes distracted her from getting too upset at him which he felt was completely justified at this point.

Kensi rolled her eyes, "I'm a Bitch." She gritted through her teeth, "It was pretty hard to pick a song that you wouldn't mess up or make some stupid inuendo about"

Deeks stood up. "Yeah well, sorry I wanted to pick my own song. Plus if I was going to lose to you, I might as well have fun doing it."

"Million dollar question: why did you want to sing that song?"

This was getting stupid.

_Why is she so stubborn?_

He pursed his lips."You know why."

"No I don't Deeks," she took a step forward, challenging him, "tell me."

Now he was starting to get frustrated. They had been going around their thing for too long, it was time for her to wake up.

"Kens," he looked deep in her eyes, hoping she could read what was in them, "you should know why I sang that song, why I pulled you to the dance floor, and why I am here now."

Her eyes went wide, she tried to step back but ended up slipping and falling butt first, knocking the back of her head against the hardwood floor.

He looked down at her and smiled. "I have always said you were one classy chick."

"Shut up Deeks."

"Whatever Kens," he bent down and against her protests, picked her up. "Couch or bed? I am personally all for the bed, much more room for various activities." He winked.

"Eww, Deeks. Couch!"

"Hey, I was just thinking of helping you with your head, what were you thinking? Me, you, on your bed, in our birthday suits perhaps?" He knew he was pushing the boundaries of their banter, but the time for subtlety had passed.

She stopped struggling in his arms, her face turned a bright shade of pink and Deeks couldn't stop the chuckle that escaped his lips. So she had been thinking about them like that.

She was adorable when she blushed.

"God, did I just make Kensi Blye blush?"

She couldn't hide a smile, "Deeks, you are an ass."

"Hey!" he countered indignantly, "I am more than just a good looking ass! I have other features. My rock hard abs, this beautiful head of hair, my brain…'

"Shut up Deeks." She sighed, her face still bright red.

He set her down on her the bed, took a deep breath and started running his hands over her head, through her hair, checking to makes sure there wasn't too much damage. It was hard because the scent of her was intoxicating.

Ignoring the fact that he had taken her to the bedroom, she said in a small voice, "I am still mad at you, and trying to play doctor won't change that."

She drew in a sharp in take of breath as his hands brushed the tender bump that was forming on the back of her head.

"Yeah, I know how long you can hold a grudge but let me get you some aspirin and a cold pack for that and you can rip me a new one after."

"Fine."

* * *

After she graciously accepted the cold pack and the aspirin, they settled on her bed, facing each other. Deeks was especially nervous because he had no idea what Kensi was going to say or do. They sat for a few minutes in silence, looking at each other, before Deeks spoke.

He felt like the air had been sucked from his lungs. "We can't go on like this, _I _can't go on like this."

She avoided his eyes, preferring to stare at the window behind him. "I can't either."

"You know there was a very specific reason why I chose that song. I probably shouldn't have but I did and I'm sorry that it embarrassed you. However I am not sorry I did it." He shut his eyes and forced himself to continue, "We have been dancing around this thing, _our thing_, for years now and something needs to change."

"What are you talking about? We work well together. You are the best partner, and definitely the best friend I have ever had. What needs to change about that?"

Immediately he knew she was trying to change the point of the conversation, but he wasn't going to let her win this time.

He gave her a stern look. "Well I can't have a partner that doesn't respect me. What happened when you found out about Monica was out of line and unprofessional. No matter what happens in the future there are going to be cases and missions that can't be discussed. You know that!"

Kensi's face was white as a sheet. She tried to speak but no words came out of her mouth. After a few deep breaths, she closed her eyes.

"Deeks, that was months ago. I thought we had moved on from that."

He moved closer to her without breaking eye contact.

"Not when you get this upset at me flirting. Because the teasing and all that from the guys I know you can handle, along with me making a fool out of myself, but when it comes to any other female trying to get up on this," he motioned his hands over his chest with that smug smile of his, "you freak out like a jealous teenager on steroids."

Shaking her head in disbelief, Kensi stood up, put her hands on her hips and looked down at her partner.

"Ok, one, I do not get jealous. Two, it did piss me off that you went up there and sang that song because the whole team thinks I picked it out for you, no matter how much I deny it. And three, all that," she gestured her hand over his chest, "meh."

God, she was a terrible liar.

"Now you lying to me like that really hurts Kensi." He said as he stood up, brushing against her purposefully, he grinned as he heard her sharp intake of breath, "Because I know for a fact that you want me."

She merely stared at him, too stunned to continue, as her face returned to a bright shade of pink. Seeing that, turned his grin into a wide smile. He could see her walls crumbling but all he needed was that extra push to rip it down completely.

He moved his face so his lips rested inches from hers. His body hummed in anticipation for the moment to end all moments. And even though he wasn't touching her, he could feel her body shaking.

_No risk_

_No reward_

"And, Princess, just so we are clear…."

His eyes moved to her lips and watched as her tongue darted in and out of her mouth.

_God I hope she doesn't rack me. _

"…I want you too."

With that confession out of the way, Deeks slammed his lips into hers for one mind bending kiss.


	9. Chapter 9

**Warning: I have gone a little overboard with their reaction to the kiss from the last chapter. This chapter is rated M as a consequence. A little unsure about it. Advice or suggestions are greatly appreciated. **

**This chapter took me a while to get off the ground. I have a feeling that I will be making minor adjustments after the story is complete so please keep that in mind. **

**THANK YOU, to everyone who comments, favorites, or just reads this damn thing. It's exciting to know you have enjoyed my first project with NCIS:LA fanfiction. I also have to give kudos to Shane Brennan for actually progressing the Kensi/Deeks relationship, rather than leaving it to die *coughTIVIAcough*. **

**I challenge****_ EVERY_**** person that reads this chapter to comment on one thing they have liked about this story thus far, and one thing that was not so great. It will only motivate me to write the last chapter faster so just do it. :)**

**Anyways, enough rambling, onward to the story!**

* * *

_Wow_!

Kensi had always wondered what it would be like to kiss Deeks, and now she knew: it was too good. As in, she could visualize spending the rest of her life kissing him, while she was actually doing it. Which was bad; very, very, bad.

_But SOOOOOO good. _

The kiss seemed to go on forever, as it morphed from passionate to tender to passionate again before it abruptly ended, leaving both partners gasping for air.

Deeks' eyes were wide, with a mixture of surprise and lust, and his freshly kissed lips were curved into a small smile.

"Wow, Kens, that was…"

"Yeah, I know," she breathed in response. "Wow."

His smiled widened, hearing her acknowledge the intensity of the kiss.

"That definitely lived up to the hype."

"Really?" she smirked.

He winked and stepped in for another kiss, "Yes, RobotKensi was crap. You, my dear, are the real deal."

Kensi stopped him by pushing back against his chest with her hands.

"Deeks, we need to talk."

With a frustrated grunt, he threw his hands into the air in exasperation.

"That's all we've ever done. Kensi, we talk TOO MUCH. That is all we do. At some point you just have to go for it. Life is so fucking short. We see that everyday. And right now, I don't want to talk."

"Well that's a first," was the last thing she said before he picked her up and threw her on her bed, climbed on top of her, and kissed her until she forgot her own name.

For years, she denied and laughed at the suggestion and assumption that she had a _thing _with Deeks. But in the privacy of her bedroom, she couldn't deny herself the feeling that he felt good. His body against hers, his lips on her skin, his hands roaming her thigh, moving to her ass.

Through the fog of lust, Kensi noticed Deeks' shirt had disappeared and hers was almost off.

But something in her brain was screaming at her to stop this. Yes it was faint, and growing fainter as Deeks moved his tongue to the pulse point on her neck, but she had to silence that annoying voice in her head.

"Deeks,"

"Ah shit Kens," he breathed into her neck, clearly frustrated. "This stop and go thing is getting really out of hand."

"Look, you are my partner." She turned her head so she could see his face, "I trust you with my life. But this, what we are doing right now, I… I don't know if it's a good idea."

Deeks rolled his eyes, which made Kensi smirk. That was her move.

"Of course this is a bad idea. It is a _terrible _idea. But honestly, to preface Shakespeare, cause that's the sensitive kind of guy I am…"

Now it was Kensi's turn to roll her eyes.

"…I would rather have _this _than nothing at all."

Kensi swallowed and felt her heartbeat increased. Had she known when they first met that eventually they would end up in this compromising position together, she would have died from laughing. He was not the type of guy she had ever envisioned being with. But maybe this wasn't a bad thing.

_It's not like I have to marry the man. _

Conceding his point, and the fact that she was very, _very_, horny, she shrugged her shoulders, and rolled them over so she was on top of him. She ran her hands over his washboard abs, while he watched in stunned silence. If this was going to happen, she had some conditions.

With a sly grin on her face, she put on her best sultry look and spoke in her lower register voice, "Ok, then, we need to have ground rules."

Deeks gulped, "Like a safe word? Cause mine is 'fragglerock' not that you have ever paid attention to it before. I just want you to know I am pretty much down for anything, accept choking and gags for obvious reasons. Oh and I don't like being handcuffed. Ropes, scarves, lace," he wiggled his eyebrows, "are totally acceptable materials for being tied up. And devil's threeways are totally non negotiable…."

Kensi arched eyebrow and made a mental note to ask him more about that later. But in the interest of shutting him up, she pressed one finger to his lips, then whipped her shirt off.

"Are you done now?"

Deeks swallowed hard again, and nodded. His eyes were freely roaming her body and she found that she was even more turned on by his attention.

"Good," she grinned seductively. "In order for this to continue, there need to be ground rules. First," she pulled her hair tie out, allowing her still damp hair to fall over her shoulders, "no mentioning this at work. As in, if you speak a word about us to anyone, I will cut off your junk and display your crown jewels over my fireplace."

While the gorgeous woman on top of him mesmerized him, Deeks still had enough blood in his brain to register what she was saying. He knew his partner better than anyone, including her own mother, so if she wanted to 'dictate' how their relationship was going to be, he was glad to humor her.

"Duly noted."

"Second, no funny business at work. Under no circumstances are we to do _this_," she ground her hips into his groin for added emphasis, smiling when he moaned in response, "at anytime while we are on the clock or at least a mile from Ops."

Reacting to her teasing (he couldn't let her have all the fun), Deeks rediscovered the ability to move his arms. He tentatively moved his hands along the sides of her bare torso and chuckled as he felt her shiver under his touch.

"Lastly," she gasped. His touch was making it harder and harder to think straight.

_Damn him and his Adonis-like body._

"this is just sex. No holding hands, no cuddling, and no cutesy nicknames."

Deeks' hands stopped their exploratory search of her body. His eyes bored into hers as he opened his mouth to speak. Kensi, to avoid any argument her partner would offer to convince her against this plan, (at least that's what she told herself) arched her back, and deftly removed her bra with one hand while the other drifted along the waistband of his jeans.

Seeing Kensi, straddling him, chest bare, her hair wild and wavy, made what little blood he had left in his brain up until that point rush to his painfully confined member. In the back of his mind, he knew he should argue against the 'partners with benefits' idea, but he wanted to have sex. With his partner. Right now.

"So," she continued, leaning forward so her bare chest pressed against his, and her arms braced against either side of his face, allowing her face to hover mere inches above his, "does that work for you?"

Deeks grunted in the affirmative, and finally allowing himself to lose his self-control, forcefully rolled them over, so he had her pinned her beneath him, and quickly closed the distance between their lips.

It wasn't long before Kensi was reduced to a thoughtless being, consumed by Deeks' passionate assault on her body. What they had between them was raw fire and impulsive. They easily found a rhythm, which was rough and hard, the consequence of years worth of sexual tension and erotic daydreaming finally being fulfilled. Her hands had started in his hair, happily finding it as soft as she fantasized about. They then migrated to his shoulders, as their rhythm increased in speed, and she dug in her nails to hold on. His hands were everywhere: in her hair, caressing her sensitive tits, then firmly moving along her sides, until she could no longer keep track.

After the longest dry spell she had had in years, sex with Deeks was bordering on a religious experience. Not that she would ever admit it to him, but Deeks definitely knew his way around her body. It was as if all the years he spent teasing her, touching her, and watching her, was all research for this. She also vaguely noticed that in the throngs of sex, Deeks' usually expensive vocabulary was reduced to guttural grunts and moans.

_God he would make beautiful babies_, was her last conscious thought before the room filled with their voices as they cried out each other's names as they came.

* * *

Deeks woke up to a tightening feeling around his chest and sunlight in his eyes. Momentarily forgetting where he was, he looked around and smiled as he saw disheveled brown curls draping his chest as Kensi's head rested on his shoulder. His smile faded into a contemplative frown as his thoughts drifted to last night. Primarily, he remembered Kensi's rules, the most troublesome of which was her desire to have a 'partners with benefits' type of relationship. He had no doubt that given a little push in the right direction she would let go of the crazy idea that he would break her heart.

Deeks knew his partner better than anyone. Her main motivation for her decisions in life, since he had known her, was to keep anything that could potentially hurt her emotionally at an arms length. Right then and there, Deeks promised himself that he would do whatever it took to show Kensi that she didn't have to worry about him breaking her heart.

For Deeks, Kensi was endgame. He had known it for some time but just couldn't bring himself to actually believe that it could happen. The sex, as mindblowingly awesome as it was, couldn't compare to the fantasy of her being his.

But as he watched her sleep, he saw a life he had always secretly wanted and dreamed about. He wanted a family and a house with a life that didn't always revolve around the next adrenaline fix or hanging around scum of the earth. Pulling her closer, he steeled himself for the difficult task of getting Kensi Marie Blye, serial dater and queen of not expressing emotions, to admit that she wanted a relationship with him.

_I am a masochistic bastard._


End file.
